Expect the next-gen Nissan 370Z to be lighter, faster and cheaper

With the current 370Z car now six years old — a long stretch between generations for any automaker — the next car could be lighter, faster and cheaper, something more in line with the first generation 1969 Fairlady Z or 1970 240Z — cars that continue to be highly coveted today.

According to Shiro Nakamura, Nissan’s senior VP of design, the next Nissan Z needs to return to its roots; the automaker “would like to do something … more [in the] original concept of Z, which is … more practical and appealing to younger customers,” he said.

The global sports car market is getting smaller, Nakamura added, and Nissan could use a car that, while not as unique as Mazda’s MX-5 Miata, is as inspiring as the GT-R LM race car. Indeed, few cars occupy the sports car space between the Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro muscle cars, and the lighter, less expensive Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ.

If the Z is heading in that direction, that could mean a curb weight of about 2,500 pounds with an engine producing more than 350 hp, and a sticker of less than $25,000. That would certainly put a lot of zing in any new Z. With those specs, it could even be called the 250Z.